The present invention relates generally to cargo racks and more particularly, this invention pertains to an extended cargo rack for increasing the load carrying capability of an all terrain vehicle.
Several United States Patents disclose cargo systems or involve receiver hitch connections. These include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,146 issued to Allsop, et al. on Jun. 18, 1996 entitled Vehicle-Mounted Articulated Support Rack; U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,799 issued to Didlake on Aug. 13, 1996 entitled Swing Away Cargo Carrier Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,666 issued to Vieira, et al. on Oct. 1, 1996 entitled Removable Rack System; U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,072 issued to Hopper on Jan. 13, 1998 entitled Receiver Hitch System For All-Terrain Sport Vehicles; U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,737 issued to Clark on Sep. 15, 1998 entitled Cargo Carrier For Motor Vehicles; U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,832 issued to Eichmann on Dec. 8, 1998 entitled Rear-Mounted Vehicle Cargo Carrier; U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,959 issued to Miller on Dec. 22, 1998 entitled Multifarious, Vehicle Cargo Carrier System; U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,824 issued to Spring, Jr. on Mar. 23, 1999 entitled Equipment Transport Rack for Vehicles Providing Improved Loading Accessibility; U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,720 issued to Comeau on Nov. 14, 2000 entitled Vehicle Cargo Carrier; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,823 B1 issued to Steward, et al. on May 29, 2001 entitled Hitch Supported Carrier For A Vehicle. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference.
These patents fail to disclose the advantages of the present invention in providing a three point connection or four point connection with sliding connectors to allow for the use of the cargo rack on a small shock absorbing all terrain vehicle. What is needed, then, is a hitch carrying rack for all terrain vehicles.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved hitch carrying rack apparatus for all terrain vehicles is provided as well as the method of using the apparatus which addresses the drawbacks of the prior art devices. In one of its exemplary forms, the extension bed apparatus is adapted for carrying a load with a vehicle where the vehicle includes an attachment block connected to a frame and a frame rack connected to the frame through a moveable shock absorbing connection. The extension bed apparatus includes a frame connector adapted to connect to the attachment block, a bed wall connected to and extending upward from the frame connector, a first movement absorbing connector attaching the bed wall to the frame rack, the movement absorbing connector adapted to allow movement of the frame rack relative to the attachment block, and a bed base connected to the bed wall and adapted to extend laterally away from the vehicle to support the load.
An additional use of the extension beds is taught by an apparatus and method for an extension bed carrying system that may be utilized for carrying multiple loads off of both a front and back load off of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a frame with both a rear frame rack and a front frame rack that are connected to the frame through one or more moveable shock absorbing connections. The frame also includes both a front connecting block and a back connecting block. The system then includes a front extension bed and a back extension bed. The front extension bed includes a front frame connector adapted to connect to the front connecting block and a front bed wall connected to and extending upward from the front frame connector. The front extension bed also includes a first front movement absorbing connector attaching the front bed wall to the front frame rack where the front movement absorbing connector is adapted to allow movement of the front frame rack relative to the front connecting block. And finally, the front extension bed includes a front bed base that is connected to the front bed wall and adapted to extend laterally away from the vehicle to support the first load. The basics of this extension bed are then mirrored for the rear of the vehicle. This allows the front bed to support the front load and the back bed to support an additional load to balance the loads on the vehicle. Thus, the principal object of the present invention is to provide for additional carrying capacity for an all terrain vehicle.